Ruoxi stepped into the shop, and the attendant didn’t recognize her.
Seeing her breathtaking beauty, he was puzzled and approached her to ask, "Miss, what brings you here? Are you looking for someone?"
Ruoxi remained calm and responded, "I’m here to see your manager."
The attendant quickly said, "I’ll go and announce you right away."
"Thank you," Ruoxi nodded slightly.
Manager Yan, at thirty-six, had the demeanor of a smiling tiger. He was also full of curiosity, wondering who this mysterious guest might be.
When he saw Ruoxi, not only young but also stunningly beautiful, he approached with a smile and asked, "Miss, are you here for me?"
Ruoxi said bluntly, "Manager Yan, I am Shen Ruoxi."
The words stunned Manager Yan; he quickly understood her identity, his expression changing slightly, and he hurried to salute, "So it’s the Marquis. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner. You should have told me beforehand so I could make preparations."
Ruoxi replied coolly, "No preparation needed. I’m just here to look at where the attendants work, and perhaps take a look at the account books."
Manager Yan broke into a cold sweat, nervously saying, "My Marquis, you shouldn’t go there. The brewery workers are rough people; it’s not a place for someone of your status."
Ruoxi insisted, "It’s fine, I’ll just take a look and won’t disturb them."
Reluctantly, Manager Yan nodded in agreement and gave a knowing glance to the attendant nearby.
The attendant understood and quietly slipped out of the room.
The brewery was bustling with life. Though Ruoxi didn’t notice anything unusual, she clearly felt the astonishment of the workers at her arrival, perhaps because they had never seen such a beautiful woman.
Manager Yan introduced her to everyone, "Everyone, this is the Marquis, also the owner of the brewery."
Once those words were said, the looks of wonder turned to those with deeper meaning.
Ruoxi could distinctly feel a murderous aura spreading in the room.
She lightly pursed her lips, inwardly puzzled: Why do they harbor such resentment towards the owner? Is there some hidden secret in this brewery?
The manager’s unusual nervousness at her arrival was without a doubt.
"Everyone, get back to work!" At the manager’s command, everyone bowed their heads to their tasks.
However, a pair of sharp eyes remained watching Ruoxi from the shadows.
She instinctively sought that gaze, finally locking eyes with those eyes.
The man appeared to be around thirty, with a cold, hostile gaze.
Feeling Ruoxi’s stare, he then averted his eyes.
Ruoxi had an inexplicable feeling that this man might be the key to unraveling the mystery.
So, she approached him and softly asked, "What’s your name?"
The man seemed surprised that Ruoxi would speak to him and showed a trace of surprise, then smirked coldly, answering, "My name is Wu Dayou."
Even though his words sounded respectful, Ruoxi could still sense the seething resentment beneath.
Ruoxi’s gaze turned icy. She noticed the manager’s body tense up as she questioned him.
She masked her face’s chilliness, casually saying, "Keep working hard."
Wiping his sweat, the manager said, "My lord, it’s too hot here. Would you like to see somewhere else?"
Ruoxi nodded and said, "Let’s go to the accounting room and look at the account books."
The manager quickly replied, "Very well, please come."
Before leaving, Ruoxi glanced back at Wu Dayou, seeing him filtering wine, with a flash of curiosity in her eyes, then turned to leave.
The manager led Ruoxi to the accounting room, which was considerably cooler than the brewery.
Looking at the account books in her hands, Ruoxi couldn’t help but feel an unexplainable sensation.
The Shen family seemed to be hiding too many secrets, and these secrets all seemed to tie back to Old Mrs. Xu.
The records in the account book appeared flawless, with clear income and expenditure.
However, there were three people’s names crossed out in the monthly silver section.
Ruoxi frowned and asked, "What about these three people?"
The manager replied, "They had accidents and are no longer with us."
"Is the brewery dangerous?" Ruoxi’s heart skipped as she pressed for more information.
Losing three lives wasn’t a trivial matter.
The manager shook his head, "No, they died from fighting. When Old Mrs. Xu was in charge, she felt sorry for their hardships and had already compensated them."
Ruoxi’s brow twitched, and more doubts arose in her heart.
But she knew she couldn’t show too much interest now, or it would alert them.
She decided to take it slowly, determined to uncover the truth.
"Alright, since the compensation issue has been resolved, and there’s nothing wrong with the books, I’m relieved." Ruoxi stretched her body slightly, let out a soft yawn, then said, "I’m heading back. You all continue with your work."
"Safe travels, my lord." The manager sighed in relief, which only added to Ruoxi’s unease.
The manager seemed eager to have her leave. If there were truly nothing wrong with the brewery, it would have been spooky!
After Ruoxi left, the manager hurried to the workers, sternly warning, "Listen up, if anyone dares to gossip, don’t blame me for being ruthless and showing no mercy!"
The group was instantly intimidated, all expressing their submission.
However, Wu Dayou felt a surge of suspicion in his heart. Wasn’t this new owner unlike the one before?
His mind clouded, Wu Dayou’s movements slowed, and he got a lash.
Manager Yan coldly warned, "Wu Dayou, remember, if you dare utter a single word, your whole family won’t survive!"
Wu Dayou suddenly chuckled lightly, provocatively saying, "With such a stunning owner, who wouldn’t want to take a few more glances and think a bit more? Am I right, brothers?"
The others echoed his sentiments, with their words full of levity and teasing.
Manager Yan seemed satisfied with their reaction, and only then did he leave with peace of mind.
Ruoxi then visited two other shops she found peculiar.
Although the shopkeepers weren’t as nervous as the brewery’s manager, it was evident they were also worried she might discover something.
Ruoxi understood clearly that unraveling the brewery’s mystery would naturally solve the issues of these two shops.
Back at the residence, Ruoxi remained silent, puzzling Chuntao, who couldn’t help but ask, "Miss, why haven’t you spoken a word along the way?"
Ruoxi gave Chuntao a deep look and sighed, "Chuntao, I fear the Shen family has turned into a wolf’s den!"
Chuntao was shocked, trembling as she asked, "Mi-Miss, what do you mean by that? How could the Shen family be a wolf’s den? Please don’t frighten me!"